Former Retail Store Manager Steve Cano to Succeed Ron Johnson as Apple Retail Chief? [Updated]

Yesterday, we noted that Apple senior vice president for retail Ron Johnson had been removed from Apple's list of senior executives, in line with his previously-announced departure to become CEO of department store chain J.C. Penney. The transition occurred with no announcement from Apple regarding Johnson's successor.

cano johnson osaka
Steve Cano (left) and Ron Johnson (right) at 2004 grand opening of Shinsaibashi store in Osaka, Japan (Source: ifoAppleStore)

Cult of Mac now reports that Steve Cano has been elevated to the position of senior vice president for retail, heading up the successful division as part of the executive leadership team.

Apple’s new retail boss boss isn’t just some suit, though. He’s one of the first retail employees Apple ever hired, a California surfer dude who has climbed from the sales floor to the very top rung of Apple management.

It’s a real rags-to-riches story that should be inspiration to every stressed out Apple Store sales associate or overworked Genius: your work can be noticed, and you too can go to the very top.

According to our source, Apple is replacing Johnson with his long-time lieutenant, Steve Cano.

According to the report, Cano began his career at Apple ten years ago as manager of the Palo Alto retail store, later moving to open the SoHo store in New York City. Consistent with previous reports of Apple looking for a candidate with international retail experience, Cano has spent the last seven years working on Apple's international retail efforts, first in Japan as manager of the Ginza store in Tokyo and then as regional director there. Cano then moved to London, where he has been serving as senior director of international retail for the last several years.

Update: Apple has issued a brief statement to Cult of Mac indicating that the search for Johnson's successor is still continuing.

Apple has gotten back to us a statement, reading: “The search for a replacement for Ron Johnson continues, and Apple has nothing to announce about this subject at this time.”

Popular Stories

General Black Friday Deals 24 Green Tinsel

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Friday November 22, 2024 5:28 am PST by
Black Friday 2024 is less than one week away, and as always the next few days will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals. Right now, this includes big savings on popular Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
anker new xmas 1

Anker Kicks Off Massive Black Friday Sale With Up to 50% Off Sitewide, Free Gifts With Purchase, Mystery Boxes, and More

Thursday November 21, 2024 7:53 am PST by
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...
Apple 2024 Black Friday Shopping Event feature

Apple Announces 2024 Black Friday Event, Offering Up to $200 Gift Card

Thursday November 21, 2024 5:10 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product. In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
silo tv show apple tv plus

Apple TV+ Releasing Next Week's 'Silo' Episode Early

Friday November 22, 2024 7:25 am PST by
The next episode of Apple TV+'s award-winning sci-fi series "Silo" will be released early. Apple previously announced that new "Silo" episodes would be released on Fridays, but the third episode of the second season will instead be released on Wednesday, November 27. Apple has likely bumped up the date so that people can watch the episode during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday,...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
beats snow

Black Friday Deals Hit Beats Headphones With Up to 52% Off

Thursday November 21, 2024 12:05 pm PST by
Beats is joining in on the Black Friday discount frenzy, with up to 52 percent off select headphones, earbuds, and speakers on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This sale...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19's First New Feature Has Leaked

Friday November 22, 2024 6:22 am PST by
iOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software update's first major new feature has already leaked. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that iOS 19 will introduce a "more conversational Siri" powered by "more advanced large language models." He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing the assistant to "handle more sophisticated...

Top Rated Comments

anotonin Avatar
170 months ago
Why are all Apple employees deeply unattractive people when their products are so beautiful?

Strange.

Aw, come on. Beauty is subjective.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
benmrii Avatar
170 months ago
I had the pleasure of working with Steve Cano at SoHo and can say that he is a great person and tremendous manager. The best part is what this quote makes me think of:
It's a real rags-to-riches story that should be inspiration to every stressed out Apple Store sales associate or overworked Genius: your work can be noticed, and you too can go to the very top.
Not only is that true for him, he makes it true for everyone on his team. He always encouraged and recognized hard work and strong employees, and he did so in two ways that have become rare in the workplace: example and trust. His example through commitment and hard work made it clear that he would never expect anyone to do something that he wasn't willing to do himself. And the trust he put in his employees was nothing short of inspirational.

If you will permit me the indulgence of one memory: to this day I remember a customer service issue at the Bar that escalated to the point of Steve joining the conversation. Contrary to what many managers would do in that situation to placate a customer, he did not belittle me or dismiss my recommendations, but instead explained to the customer that, as General Manager, he had put his trust in me for such situations, and that he was going to support my recommendation. That is not the easy way out that most would take. That is the kind of example and message that motivates an employee to excellence.

Trust me: this is a man anyone would be fortunate to work for. And if this little snippet has done anything, I hope it is a worthwhile thank you and congratulations to Steve. Well deserved!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the8thark Avatar
170 months ago
I think the article is mis-leading or confusing it's facts. They tout him as an example of how you can rise to the top from a sales associate, then state that he STARTED as a manager of a store.

Not the same thing, and getting from "unnoticed sales monkey" to "manager" is quite a fight in the jungle, IMHO.

This is very true.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AgingGeek Avatar
170 months ago
I think the article is mis-leading or confusing it's facts. They tout him as an example of how you can rise to the top from a sales associate, then state that he STARTED as a manager of a store.

Not the same thing, and getting from "unnoticed sales monkey" to "manager" is quite a fight in the jungle, IMHO.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gmcalpin Avatar
170 months ago
Except the StarTAC was black or charcoal, not silver.

It came in silver, too: http://www.retrofones.com/silver-130-p-58.html
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iekozz Avatar
170 months ago
What kind of phone is Ron using in the picture?
The picture is from 2004, three years before the public introduction of the iPhone.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)